


Substitute

by whiteberryx



Series: amidst it all [2]
Category: The Fall (TV 2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Gail deserved more screentime, mention of Dani/Stella
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 16:53:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11212248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteberryx/pseuds/whiteberryx
Summary: Gail does a favor for Stella, and it goes from there.End of season two, start of season three.





	Substitute

**Author's Note:**

> Without dexstarr, this story doesn't exist. Thanks, friend.
> 
> This story is related to Wisdom Comes to Those Who Seek the Land Behind the Sun, but not totally necessary to read.

Gail slipped away to get a little rest in between results coming up from the lab. They’d been working themselves ragged, and everyone had learned to catch rest when they could. She’d barely shut her eyes, curled up on the couch cushion, when she felt the sofa shift.

Whoever it was didn’t think she was completely awake, as there was a touch on her shin, and then a squeeze. Inhaling, Gail smelled perfume so complex she knew it could only belong to one person in the precinct. “Yes, ma’am,” she said, sitting up quickly and blinking, trying to re-adjust herself back to the light.

Stella’s hand was already in her hair before she asked for permission, and Gail felt her stomach drop too pleasantly for comfort. The PSNI detachment was worse than a secondary school when it came to gossip, and everyone was well aware of Stella’s dalliances with not only Olson, but past liaisons with Eastwood and Burns. Stella seemed supremely unconcerned with any gossip -- Gail thought the other woman must have known, she wasn’t stupid -- and the poise she had was much envied.

What Gail was sure that the others didn’t know, though, was that Stella had likely moved on to keeping busy with a certain constable-turned-operation-associate. She’d only found out when she found Dani at the bar one night, brooding with a pint of Guinness. Dani hadn’t even confirmed it, just told Gail she’d slept with ‘her’ several times, then immediately panicked and swore her to secrecy. Gail was the only one in the precinct that knew Dani was gay, and she figured that there weren’t many women in the force that would cause Dani to have such an anxious reaction with her disclosure.

As Stella undid her hair, Gail could almost physically feel herself being lured in. The mix of confidence and bergamot swirled around them as Stella combed through her hair, loosening the twists from the knot it had been in. She sat there, frozen, as ideas of why else Stella would be pulling her hair floated through her mind.

Gail had never considered herself curious about women until approximately five minutes after she dropped Dani off at her flat that night at the bar. Stella was the definition of feminine sex appeal, with her perfectly tailored skirts and cool demeanor. She was sharp, thoughtful and classically beautiful. Gail had told herself she was being ridiculous, but it seemed that the thought hadn’t completely left her mind.

“I’d like you to do something for me,” Stella said, not breaking eye contact.

Gail closed her mouth; she hadn’t even realized it was open. She knew who was sitting in the precinct interrogation rooms three floors below, she knew why her hair was being combed out, she knew what Stella was going to ask.

“I will.”

\--

Dressing up in her backup outfit from her locker to further charge Spector was one thing, but it was another to run the interrogation in the same outfit. She knew that it was imperative to get under Spector’s skin, but she had feeling it would be a fruitless attempt.

It was fairly obvious that Spector only wanted Stella. After a frustrating session, Gail went to the ladies’, re-tying her hair in its customary knot. She had felt a little obligated to do whatever Stella wanted, especially after the flood at the Spector house, but even if that hadn’t happened, she might have said yes anyways. Even though it had been a good two hours since she undid her hair, Gail could still feel Stella’s hands, deft and sure, in her hair. She did everything with the same calmness, it seemed, and it made Gail afraid to find out what would happen if Stella was truly set off. It also had Gail wondering what she was like at her least composed, but she quickly shut that thought out.

The door swung open, and lo and behold, it was the subject of her thoughts. Stella stood there just inside the door. “Ma’am,” Gail said, finishing tying her hair up.

“Gail,” she returned. Had her voice always sounded like that, so breathy? Gail briefly wondered if she’d been hypnotized by the blonde, but immediately dismissed it. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.” Smoothing the last piece of hair in place, Gail turned to look at Stella, who was now standing at the hand dryer on the wall.

“You did everything you could,” Stella soothed. “He’ll give us what we need.”

“Did I?” Gail asked, humorlessly. She caught Stella’s eye in the mirror and immediately clammed up. 

“What do you mean, Gail?”

It didn’t escape the younger woman that Stella called pretty much everyone, save Dani, by their last names. The fact that she had now joined the given-name-club was something to consider at a later time, perhaps over a solitary drink at the bar. “Flooding the Spector home. Sure, we managed to bring in the wife, but that’s not doing us a lot of good right now.” Bitter, Gail washed her hands, letting the noise of the water fill the awkward silence.

She shut the water off. “Forget it. I’ll be off, forensics should have the next round of results.”

Stella didn’t stop her from leaving, but Gail could feel eyes on her on her way out.

\--

Gail found herself at her desk, one of the last still in the bullpen. Dani’s old desk had remained empty, and was now the landing for any files that they had pulled. Gail relished the quiet, especially after such an odd day like today.

The next time she looked up, Stella was there, looking through a box. It seemed as though the other woman couldn’t leave her orbit, even though Gail knew it was just recency bias. 

“Gail.” 

“Ma’am.”

“It’s getting late.”

“You’re still here.” Gail was without cheek. Though their moment in the ladies’ wasn’t an outburst by any means, she was exponentially more conscious of her reactions. In Stella’s presence, the slightest bit of emotion seemed to hold ten times the magnitude.

“Get some rest, Gail. You were tired this afternoon.”

\--

Gail hadn’t gone home, even with Stella’s urging. She’d gone to the pub down the road from her flat for a solitary gin and tonic, trying to let something normal like a drink help her re-settle herself. She had felt off-kilter the whole day, and as she drank, she realized it wasn’t from sitting in with Spector, but from the moment she’d been woken up by Stella.

If Dani hadn’t told her that she had slept with Stella -- well, Gail had pieced it together as such -- she’d never have started this track of thinking. She hadn’t even experimented with another woman in college; it was so far removed from her mind, and she didn’t know whether to chalk that up to a traditional upbringing or because the opportunity had never presented itself. 

She was in the midst of telling herself that maybe she just needed to get some in general when the door swung open, and Stella walked in. The line from Casablanca about gin joints immediately popped into her head; why here? Why now? Stella was apparently in a sociable mood, and slid onto the stool beside Gail with a grace she could only wish she possessed.

“I thought I told you to get some rest, Gail.”

“Ma’am. Just helping myself out.”

“Stella.” She then spoke to the barkeep, who had magically appeared. “Double…” she squinted at the bottles behind the bar, “Glenfiddich. Thank you.

“Do you mind?” Stella continued. Gail was sure she was only asking out of politeness, since Stella Gibson seemed to do as she pleased.

Gail shook her head and drained her glass. She wondered if she should go, as she had only intended for one drink, but when the barman came by with the whiskey, she gestured for another.

They sat, not quite facing straight ahead, but not looking at each other either. “What brings you here, m-- Stella?”

“The pool was closed, so I decided to take the long way back.” Stella paused. “I could ask you the same question.”

Gail shrugged, stirring her drink. “I’m not far from here. Needed some time that wasn’t at the office or my flat.”

Stella turned, now facing her completely. With her legs crossed at the knee, blouse neckline low under her black trenchcoat, Gail had a sudden realization of just how ensnaring the blonde could be, and didn’t blame Dani for a second if she did, indeed, sleep with her.

She realized she was looking a beat too long, and she met Stella’s eyes a fraction of a moment too late. Stella had a smirk that Gail hadn’t seen before, sly and wolfish, and Gail felt very much like a coveted prize.

Stella took a sip of her whiskey. “Would you be interested in running another operation?”

Gail was surprised by the request, especially because they were in a dim pub at quarter to eleven on a night when neither of them should have been. “I’d have to think about it.” The destruction of the Spector home still weighed on her, even though she’d done her best to make amends.

Making a non-committal sound, Stella finished her drink, and Gail did the same on instinct. Stella put down a few notes, and stood. “You only had the two, yes?”

Gail felt like she was suddenly jerked from sleep. “Y-yes, ma’am.”

Stella nodded, the same smile on her face. “Stella.”

“Stella,” Gail repeated, but her name didn’t sit well in her mouth.

“This is when I’d take you with me, but you said you were closer.”

Mouth dry, Gail nodded mutely. What was she even doing? She had approximately three seconds to grab her coat and rush out the door and hope that this never, ever came up again, but before she knew it, she was outside, Stella trailing a half step behind.

\--

“Have you ever done this with a woman before?”

As soon as Gail had opened the door, Stella had pushed her inside before using her to shut it. She was incredibly close, mere inches away, and Gail knew she could shove Stella away and kick her out. “No,” was all she said.

“Do you want to?”

A way out. Gail was silent for a long moment. Stella didn’t speak, just fixed her with a gaze that made her feel like every secret she’d ever held was being read.

“I hadn’t thought about it before.” _Before I realized you’ve been sleeping with Dani_ , Gail filled in inside her head.

“Do you want to?” Stella repeated.

A beat. “Yes.” The answer surprised even Gail, but Stella, like usual, appeared unaffected. She leaned down for a kiss; it could have been tentative, but Gail felt that Stella Gibson didn’t do tentative. It was exploratory, as slow as Gail wanted to go, and eventually they parted. 

Gail was suddenly quite happy she was leaning against the door, because she might have melted to the ground otherwise. Stella knew exactly what she was doing -- she always knew what she was doing -- and God, was Gail suddenly aware of just how long it had been since she’d had sex. “Stella…”

Stella slid her hands up Gail’s sides, resting at the side of each breast. “All you have to do is say the word.”

She could say stop, she could say no, but that wasn’t what came out of Gail’s mouth. “Please.”

Stella kissed her again, far less gently this time. Her tongue immediately slipped into Gail’s mouth, teasing turning to passion. Gail pushed off the door and walked them towards the bedroom, the two of them shedding their coats and shoes along the way. Gail’s blazer tangled with Stella’s at the foot of the bed, and she sat on the edge, pulling Stella on top of her. 

Stella’s hands had been quite busy, pulling Gail’s pants and oxford off before she took off her own pants. In the dim light, Gail had a moment of inadequacy. In her sensible nude bra and green lace boyshorts, not only was she completely uncoordinated, she looked like she was about fifteen in the presence of Stella Gibson only in her lingerie and open blouse. Black lace shaped her breasts perfectly, while a matching pair of underwear looked like they wouldn’t be out of place in a La Perla catalogue.

As if she could hear Gail’s thoughts, Stella swept in to dissolve them, mouth hot on her neck and chest. Gail’s back arched on instinct, needing to be closer to Stella. Stella took the opportunity to undo her bra, pulling it away. Taking a nipple into her mouth, Stella worked Gail over until she was squirming underneath of her. She knew how to use her teeth without leaving a mark, knew when to slide her mouth back up for a more intense kiss. 

It could’ve been minutes, or hours, but finally Gail felt lace being pulled down her legs. Moaning in sheer relief, Stella took a moment to kiss her again, hands guiding Gail’s up to grab at the headboard. Gail could barely stand to look at Stella; she was so tightly wound, that any touch from Stella would have likely to combust.

Stella then shifted down to kneel between her legs, hands on her inner thighs to part them wider. Gail hissed, feeling just how needy she was.

“Would you--” 

Gail didn’t know what Stella was going to ask, but she was simply bursting at the seams. “Please,” she ground out, trying to hold eye contact with Stella. 

Stella smiled, the same smile that she had at the pub, and Gail gripped the headboard tighter. Without another word, she slid one hand up Gail’s thigh to the apex of her legs, fingers dipping in, feeling just how wet she was. 

Now completely spellbound, Gail could barely focus on Stella who was intently exploring her, cataloguing every square inch with her fingertips before sliding in. Satisfied, she exhaled sharply, finally getting what she needed. The steady thrust of Stella’s fingers made it easy for Gail’s hips to find a rhythm, and the two of them pushed on as Gail writhed under the blonde. 

And finally, when Stella made her come, Gail dimly thought that she’d do this a hundred times over. 

\--

It was maybe half one when Stella decided she’d had enough, and sat up on one side of the bed. Gail was flat on her back, exhausted from the amount of activity they’d done. In the light from the bedside lamp, Gail could see the the lines in Stella’s face more clearly; the woman looked to be deep in thought.

Tugging at the blanket from under Stella’s ass, Gail couldn’t be fussed with getting up to lock the door behind Stella. “Sleep,” she mumbled, hoping her invitation was understood. 

Stella turned away, hiding her face from Gail. There was obvious tension in her back, exercise and stress working in equal measure to map out a lifetime across her skin and posture. Gail rolled on her side so she could reach Stella, grabbing at her shoulder to get her attention.

“Sleep,” she repeated. Her tongue was heavy and her arm weak, too wrung out from Stella’s dedicated attention. She rolled onto her back and slapped at the light, turning it off. With the room dark, Gail felt, rather than saw, Stella shift and settle on the bed.

When Gail woke in the morning, Stella was gone, only leaving the scent of bergamot behind.

\--

Though Gail found it difficult to be happy about her work -- satisfied, but rarely happy -- she was almost happy that Stella was kept busy with Spector. Having a one night stand was one thing, having one with a coworker was another, and having one with a female supervisor was too much for Gail to handle in the daylight. During every debrief, Gail made sure to sit where Stella had to really look for her to see her; she’d take what anonymity she could get. 

Of course, any shred of positive feeling rarely lasted, and Gail wasn’t surprised when the search for Rose Stagg went completely pear-shaped. Letting instincts take over, she and Glen met the convoy at the hospital, trying to sort through the mess while liaising with the hospital staff. Gail left Glen to sort through the paperwork so she could check in on the patients in surgery.

When she emerged from the stairwell, coming up to stand as surveillance, she saw Stella. Even though Stella looked to be in a fog of confusion, Gail just knew that her mind was trying to sort things out on what she could do while she was powerless. Rose Stagg was in surgery, Paul Spector the same. All she could do was wait, and she had a feeling the older woman didn’t like to wait.

After being directed to get her some clothes, Gail only nodded as she left the hospital to the unmarked car she’d taken over to the hospital. She remembered, faintly, Dani getting drunk at the pub a few weeks ago because ‘I can’t believe I had to fold her three hundred quid lingerie.’ She then she realized it only confirmed what she had already known, but wasn’t sure she wanted to dwell on.

All along, she’d been a substitute.

And she didn’t mind.


End file.
